Thursday, March 29, 2012

So last weekend I had a couple events in Chicago with my old pal Zak "Sammy the Mouse" Sally, and my new pal Dale "TOOTH" Flattum. We did a reading at Quimby's in honor of Zak's hot-off-the-presses Sammy the Mouse Volume One, which collects the three Fantagraphics releases in one handy book. One handy, completely self-printed book. Yes Zak not only self-published this one on his trusty La Mano imprint, but he actually ran the press it was printed on. Pretty amazing, and it looks great!

The Quimby's signing was a lotta fun. It's always a good time to be there, experiencing the magic that is QUIMBY'S.

Afterwards Zak and I got cranky and walked around Wicker Park looking for something suitable to eat. I wish I had pictures, but I forgot my camera.

Dale's silkscreened exhibition poster

Zak and John discuss those ceramic tiles that line the wall of the Charles Schulz Museum.

The next morning we headed over to Rational Park, a design and exhibition space a little bit farther west on North Avenue, and set up for our three-person show, PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. For the show Zak hung every one of the 96 pages he drew for Sammy the Mouse so far, along with some beautiful inky poster originals. Dale put up a bunch of his detourned xerographic screenprints and displayed his "Fluxus" boxes, handmade wooden boxes containing small repros of many of his works, a la Duchamp's Green Boxes. Also on display were his handmade Brillo Boxes... A box in every pot, a chicken in every garage!

Zak's wall.

TOOTH wall in progress.

I showed a variety of prints, drawings, photographs and original King-Cat pages. I don't usually show my work on walls. I generally like to hand it to people in zine form. But it was nice to put up all our work together, and to be showing with these artists whom I admire.

John P.'s wall.

I wasn't sure anyone would actually show up, but show up they did. Some old friends of mine made surprise appearances, and a bunch of Chicago Cartoonists were in attendance, stalwarts and whippersnappers alike.

Dale examines the proof of Zak's insanity.

(Photo by Johnathan Crawford)

Show organizer Grace Tran (left).

(Photo by Johnathan Crawford)

(Photo by Johnathan Crawford)

(Photo by Johnathan Crawford)

(Photo by Johnathan Crawford)

(Photo by Johnathan Crawford)

Afterwards we thought it would be a good idea to eat Chili at midnight. Oops!

A collaboration between Johalla Projects and Rational Park, PHYSICAL EVIDENCE is a group show celebrating the sustainability of DIY practices. The show, presented salon-style, will give viewers a chance to see the scope of the original works of art.

Hand-assembled and/or printed zines, comic books, gig posters and screen-printed sculptures by Sally, Porcellino and Flattum will be available for viewers to purchase. They are physical objects, hand-made and hand-distributed, reminders of the artistic means accessible to individuals with a desire to do it themselves.